A GOOD DAY TO DIE (HOKA HEY)

Cert 15 87mins Stars 4

Peril, passion and the pursuit of the perfect picture make for an explosive composition in this documentary about a renowned British war photographer.

At the start we’re dropped by helicopter into a firefight in Afghanistan’s Helmand Province, before shooting off to Colombia, Lebanon and Iraq.

Looking and sounding like Benedict Cumberbatch’s thrill seeking older brother, Jason P. Howe is alarmingly honest about his addiction to the adrenaline he experiences on the job.

Intelligent, articulate and extremely talented, he’s described as an idiot and a maniac by fellow snappers.

For twelve years his life was a barely believable storm of bullets, booze, drugs and romance.

When the film catches its breath, it adjusts its focus to the changing nature of the industry, questions of ethics and issues of censorship.

Many of Howe’s photos are disturbingly graphic, and a life on the front line has resulted in PTSD. But there’s no suggestion he wouldn’t do it all again.

 

THE MUMMY (2017)

Cert 15 110mins Stars 1

This big budget action adventure lumbers into cinemas and begs to be put out of its torment. Long before it ended, so did I.

Though the world is threatened when an ancient terror is unleashed, a directorial dead hand can’t muster a sense of fun, danger, mystery or suspense.

It’s only brought to a semblance of life by the spark of Brit actress Annabelle Wallis and the dogged determination of Tom Cruise.

He stars as Nick Morton, an impish US soldier and blackmarketeer who is cursed when he opens a tomb in the Iraqi desert.

To save himself he must reunite a ceremonial dagger with a jewel discovered in a London grave.

He’s accompanied by a shouty, face slapping Egyptologist called Jenny, played by Wallis.

They stagger through a script which exhumes the dead bits of better movies and wraps them up in murky CGI.

Aeroplane and underwater stunts are airlifted in from Cruise’s last Mission Impossible film. And scenes from An American Werewolf in London are humourlessly reanimated.

Meanwhile a resurrected Egyptian mummy wants the knife to rule the world, or something.

Algerian dancer Sofia Boutella spends her time either chained in rags or parading across the desert in the style of a 1980’s Turkish Delight advert.

This stumbling mess is intended to be a franchise starter for Universal Studio’s Dark Universe. It’s a series of connected films rebooting classic movie monsters such as the Wolfman.

So our heroes also encounter Russell Crowe’s Dr. Jekyll, lurking in a lair of Bond villain extravagance.

Years of good living hang heavy on the 53 year old Crowe and he makes the 54 year old Cruise seem even more remarkably well preserved.

Next year we’ll have a new version of The Bride of Frankenstein and Johnny Depp has been announced as the Invisible Man.

After this dull horror show, that’s a truly terrifying prospect.

THE FOUNDER

Cert 12 Stars 3

Though Michael Keaton failed to win the best actor Oscar for his soaring performance in 2016’s Birdman, he returned as an early contender for this year’s award.

However this biopic disappointed at the box office and Keaton will have to keep waiting for his long overdue statuette.

The former Batman serves up a snappy performance as Ray Kroc, the fast food visionary who engineered a takeover of McDonald’s and created a global brand.

His performance is the meat in a sandwich of greed which provides passing entertainment but isn’t as juicy or as satisfying as you’d hope.

 

WILSON

Cert 15 92mins Stars 3

Since Woody Harrelson found fame as a dim barman in TV’s Cheers, he’s been a reliably entertaining and muscular comic actor in a busy career. Occasionally the 55 year old is accused of acting and has deservedly picked up two Oscar nominations.

One of my favourite actors, he’s at the centre of everything that’s good about this oddball black comedy-drama.

Based on the graphic novel of the same name by Daniel Clowes, Harrelson stars as a curmudgeonly couch potato who re-evaluates his life when his dad dies.

His life spirals in unexpected ways when he decides to track down his wayward ex wife, Pippi. With tattoos and scarecrow hair, Laura Dern is more than Wilson’s match.

The sweary script is is full of eccentric performances, gripes about modern technology and merrily mocks the moneyed middle class.

However it has a sweet heart and is disappointingly as enamoured of second chances and the importance of family as any mainstream Hollywood film.

MY COUSIN RACHEL

Cert 12A 105mins Stars 4

Cornish cousins are caught kissing in this period potboiler of poison, property, and passion.

This gothic murder mystery melodrama is a hugely enjoyable adaptation of Daphne Du Maurier’s 1951 novel.

Poor sound quality marred the BBC’s version of her book Jamaica Inn, but this is excellent in every department.

Actor Sam Claflin has matured into an engaging leading man, and is on top form as Philip.

Having inherited a large estate, the young  man becomes besotted with his recently widowed cousin, Rachel.

Rachel Weisz is plays a brilliant guessing game with the audience as a beautiful older woman of questionable morals, uncertain motives and no income.

We’re teased as to whether she’s a permissive sophisticate on the make, or a proud woman frustrated at her financial dependence on men who are inferior in brains, charm and experience.

A strong supporting cast is headed by Holliday Grainger who quietly steals her scenes as Louise.

Plus the earthy design complements the breathtaking coastline in what is easily the best film of the week.

THE SHACK

Cert 12A 132mins Stars 1

Sam Worthington finds god but loses any credibility in this toe curlingly cloying drama.

The UK born, Australia raised Hollywood actor has worked consistently since starring in sci-fi epic Avatar, without ever being in danger of offering an interesting performance.

Here he’s a hoarse whispering devoted father of three who has lost his belief in god after a difficult upbringing, committing a cardinal sin and suffering a family tragedy.

Receiving a letter in the post from the big guy upstairs, he travels to the frostbitten mountain shack where he has a divine experience. At least someones having a good time.

Faith based films are big box office in the US due to the preponderance of flag waving Christians, but are received less warmly in the UK by audiences who prefer to keep their religion for Sunday best.

An overlong sermon of the importance of blind faith in god, represented here by a gender swapping, multi-ethnic holy trinity.

This made me fearful of the possibility of an afterlife.

WONDER WOMAN

Cert 12A 140mins Stars 4

A super powered supermodel breaks the hero mould in this thrilling, involving and funny action spectacular.

Glamazon Israeli actress Gal Gadot is undeniably kick ass as the Amazon warrior princess. And she impresses in quieter scenes as her civilian alter ego Diana Prince. In these she’s an endearing mix of Julia Robert’s Pretty Woman and Christopher Reeves’ Clarke Kent.

Gadot benefits enormously by being paired with Chris Pine as ace spy and airman, Steve Trevor. Best known as Star Trek’s Captain Kirk, Pine’s gift for romantic comedy is astutely deployed in a hand holding role to aid the less experienced actress.

Leaving her home of Paradise Island to fight on the Belgian front, Wonder Woman seeks to kill the legendary Aries. Diana holds the ancient greek god of war responsible for the mass carnage and believes he’s taken the form of Danny Huston’s German general, Ludendorff.

There is hope and optimism as the old fashioned values of sacrifice, courage and duty are dressed up in state of art CGI.

A long way from the daft TV series starring Lynda Carter, this Wonder Woman is strong, smart and sexy. As one character says of her ‘I’m both frightened and aroused’.

From Supergirl to Catwoman female superhero films have been terrible. After fifteen super successful films starring various masked heroes, Marvel have no plans to make one.

This is despite their having the globally popular actress Scarlett Johansson playing a more significant character, the Black Widow, and even giving Ant-Man his own movie.

Meanwhile lead by the anguished Henry Cavill as Superman, the DC comics film adaptations have been overly long, dark and dull.

Director Patty Jenkins blows all this away with a fabulous mix of epic fantasy, wartime romance and screwball comedy.

Easily the best DC superhero film since Christian Bale hung up his Batman cowl, this woman is a downright wonder.

MY LIFE AS A COURGETTE

Cert PG 66mins Stars 4

Plant yourself in front of this charmingly original fable, which was Oscar nominated for the best animated film.

This complex, gentle and often sad delight has the social commentary and sentimentality of the work of Charles Dickens.

Hero is an orphan with a clown-like face. Though creative and kind, he has little to laugh about after being placed in a care home. We see how his kindness of spirit has an empowering effect on his fellow inmates.

The skilful storytelling is deceptively simple and technically complex. Small gestures carry great meaning and the use of traditional stop motion animation allows for some dark material to be smuggled in.

Inmates behaviour stems from their experiences. These are communicated with sufficient vagueness so children won’t be scared, but adults will fully comprehend the horrors implied.

The filmmakers tend to their characters with care, and as they bloom we’re given a feast of emotion to tuck into.

 

THE HIPPOPOTAMUS

Cert 15 89mins Stars 3

Sex among the upper classes is explored in this comedy drama which mixes a film noir detective story and the novels of Evelyn Waugh with mild successful.

It’s based on a novel by Stephen Fry, and his over bearing smug pomposity weighs down every line of dialogue.

Roger Allam plays a failed poet who wallows in the caustic mud of his own cynicism. His voice over is full of cruel asides and flowery language, which delights in its public schoolboy humour and obsesses over bodily fluids and functions.

The whiskey sodden writer is employed by a glamorous blonde to investigate a miraculous healing which took place at a large country house.

Fry previously directed a big screen adaptation of Waugh’s Vile Bodies, called Bright Young Things. And there as here, he fails to make us care about his herd of posh idiots.

However the jolly jazz era inspired soundtrack help make it surprisingly brisk on its feet.

 

BAYWATCH

Cert 15 116mins Stars 2

Flaunting its saucy seafront of solidly buttressed flesh, the only thing modest about this pumped up update of the 1990’s TV show is its ambition.

Based on the adventures of crime-solving lifeguards, the show was a worldwide smash. This success was due to the frequency with which improbably beautiful women ran in slow-mo through the surf, en route to saving the day.

This big screen reboot is an exercise in body shaming on a global scale, its bikini-sized comedy brains existing only to flex its action biceps.

It revives the formula with a lascivious wink. But a light hearted tone, gross out gags and stream of bantz are a poor substitute for a decent joke or a smart script.

Buff bromantic lifeguards Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron are joined on the team by Jon Bass. He’s the token shy, fat, ugly techie guy. Johnson is given to making motivational speeches about duty, family and team work, just as he does in his The Fast Furious films.

They attempt to solve a case of drugs and corruption which threatens the future of the beach. The bad guy is the ambitious entrepreneur, played by a fully clothed Priyanka Chopra.

The female lifeguards are essentially cheerleaders, they’re a handy reward for the guys when they bust the case. This is a waste, as all three actresses suggest they are more than capable of holding their own against the boys.

Pamela Anderson became a star when she squeezed into the famous red bikini, and she and original star David Hasselhoff make predictable and painful cameos.

By frequently pointing out how absurd the TV show was while going through the same old motions, the film wants to have its cake and eat it.  Though I imagine cake is an alien concept to the ridiculously ripped bodies promenading across the beach.